The AntsCanada Ant Forum's

Hi dear AntsCanada Forum

I have 2 colonys of myrmicaria brunnea the first one has about 30 workers and 3 Queens and is set up in a 100l Aquarium with a dirt mixture as digging medium and a drainage layer of extended clay. The moisture in the formicarium is about 80% and heat is 21°C.

The Second colony also started with about 30 worker Ants and 3 queens and is set up in a plastic formicarium which i bought online. Now there are only 8 workers left and i dont know why they are dying.
They also moved out of the nesting area and are now all in the test tube where the water is.

Here is a link to pictures of the formicaria:
https://imgur.com/gallery/XJiYBPH

Also both colonys are accepting food which they take into their nests and always have access to water and sugar water.

Both colonys dont seem to have brood and it seems like they are slowly dying and i dont know why pls help me.

Why does it seem they are dying?

AM1C39 wrote: ↑

Sun Jan 17, 2021 12:51 pm

Why does it seem they are dying?

They dont lay any eggs and are getting less workers because about 2-3 workers die in one week

During winter ants usually do not lay eggs and 2 dead workers should not affect the colony.

It could be blood sucking mites, they will look like a red speck on the ants. If its not mites your colony should be fine 2-3 workers dying a week is not very bad.

That is the temperature and humidity of the ants to be 30 degrees Celsius and live in a quiet place, completely avoiding strangers in and out, so limit visiting because they will die.

AM1C39 wrote: ↑

Thu Mar 11, 2021 11:49 am

It could be blood sucking mites, they will look like a red speck on the ants. If its not mites your colony should be fine 2-3 workers dying a week is not very bad.

he said it was a small colony, at this rate it would take 3.75 months for the entire colony to die